TIES
A dotted half note is 3 beats, but what if you want a three beat note to span a measure bar (which I am sure by now you have learned by osmosis is divided by the pipe symbol "|")? This is called a "tie," and is indicated by a following dash (assume a header in 4/4!):
G2 G2 G4- | G2 G6 | ...
This will produce two quarter notes and a half note tied to the first beat of the second measure. Try it out! Ties also work within a measure. There can be a space after the - but the - must be immediately following the note that ties to the following note.
SLURS
Normally each note is separately articulated (remember tu tu tu or du du du when learning to tongue each note?). Sometimes though notes are not separately articulated but rather "slurred." Slurs are produced by enclosing the notes to be slurred in parentheses - "(" at the start and ")" at the end. Slurs can be only two notes or as many as you want! Here is a famous tune, known as "Largo" or "Going Home" from Dvorak's New World Symphony. This is a wonderful simple melody, and is great on the ocarina! Fire up EasyABC and paste this code into the code window!
X: 1
T:From "The new world"
C:Dvorak
M:C
K:C
"C"(EG)G2|"C"(ED)C2|"G"(DEGE)|"G"D4|
"C"(EG)G2|"C"(ED)C2|"F"(DE)"G"(DC)|"C"C4|
"F"(Ac)c2|"F"(BG)A2|"F"(Ac)(BG)|"F"A4|
"F"(Ac)c2|"F"(BG)A2|"F"(AcBG)|"F"A4|
"C"EGG2|"C"EDC2|"G"DEGE|"G"D4|
"C"(EG)G2|"C"(ED)C2|"F"(DE)"G"(DC)|"C"C4|]
Although ties and slurs appear similar, ties only apply to notes of the same pitch to denote duration, while slurs denote articulation! Don't confuse them!
STACCATO
Staccatois the opposite of a slur. A staccato note signifies a shapr attack and a note of shortened duration separated from the note that may follow by silence. In standard staff notation, staccato is indicated by a dot above or below the note, and in ABC notation it is indicated by a dot immediately preceding the note:
X:1
T:Staccato
L:1/8
K:C
.G . G .G .G G4 | G G G G G4 |]
A dotted half note is 3 beats, but what if you want a three beat note to span a measure bar (which I am sure by now you have learned by osmosis is divided by the pipe symbol "|")? This is called a "tie," and is indicated by a following dash (assume a header in 4/4!):
G2 G2 G4- | G2 G6 | ...
This will produce two quarter notes and a half note tied to the first beat of the second measure. Try it out! Ties also work within a measure. There can be a space after the - but the - must be immediately following the note that ties to the following note.
SLURS
Normally each note is separately articulated (remember tu tu tu or du du du when learning to tongue each note?). Sometimes though notes are not separately articulated but rather "slurred." Slurs are produced by enclosing the notes to be slurred in parentheses - "(" at the start and ")" at the end. Slurs can be only two notes or as many as you want! Here is a famous tune, known as "Largo" or "Going Home" from Dvorak's New World Symphony. This is a wonderful simple melody, and is great on the ocarina! Fire up EasyABC and paste this code into the code window!
X: 1
T:From "The new world"
C:Dvorak
M:C
K:C
"C"(EG)G2|"C"(ED)C2|"G"(DEGE)|"G"D4|
"C"(EG)G2|"C"(ED)C2|"F"(DE)"G"(DC)|"C"C4|
"F"(Ac)c2|"F"(BG)A2|"F"(Ac)(BG)|"F"A4|
"F"(Ac)c2|"F"(BG)A2|"F"(AcBG)|"F"A4|
"C"EGG2|"C"EDC2|"G"DEGE|"G"D4|
"C"(EG)G2|"C"(ED)C2|"F"(DE)"G"(DC)|"C"C4|]
Although ties and slurs appear similar, ties only apply to notes of the same pitch to denote duration, while slurs denote articulation! Don't confuse them!
STACCATO
Staccatois the opposite of a slur. A staccato note signifies a shapr attack and a note of shortened duration separated from the note that may follow by silence. In standard staff notation, staccato is indicated by a dot above or below the note, and in ABC notation it is indicated by a dot immediately preceding the note:
X:1
T:Staccato
L:1/8
K:C
.G . G .G .G G4 | G G G G G4 |]
